Lessons Learned
by CPPgirl
Summary: Gives us a small back story inspired by actor Josh Jackson and his role as Cole Lockhart in the Showtime Series The Affair. Could things have turned out differently for him? Told from Helen's POV.


**Lessons Learned – A Cole Lockhart FanFic**

**NOTE: **(This story was inspired by actor Josh Jackson and his role as Cole Lockhart in the Showtime Series The Affair. I would like to thank Sarah Treem for creating these characters)

I find myself driving along a familiar stretch of road and I ask myself what brings me here and why now? As I look at my surroundings, my mind starts to wander into the past to a moment I both regret and remember fondly in equal parts. This one summer we had decided to take a trip to Montauk since dad's book was doing well and there were talks of it even being made into a movie. He was on top of the world and wanted to feel like one of the rich a famous, so packed us up and drove to the ocean. It wasn't until a couple years later that Dad decided to buy a place there and make it a permanent summer getaway. I didn't need to come as I was in my final year of University and had been dating the same guy for several months, but dad was insistent that we make the trip as a family, so I agreed.

After laying on the beach for three days, I decided I wanted to see some of the Town, so leaving both my parents and my sister behind I jumped in the car and drove in no particular direction. I stopped at a couple of little shops along the way, but didn't find anything of interest, so I started to head out of town when I happened along this beautiful scene of what looked like untouched fields with century old trees growing in what appeared to be random locations, but upon closer examination you realize that they were too perfectly spaced to be random, but that just added to the beauty of the land. As I slowed down to enjoy the view, I noticed a horse and rider appearing just over a ridge in the distance. I was mesmerized by the sight and pulled off to the side to watch a little closer. I got out of the car and just stood there frozen in time watching the beauty of both horse and rider as they rode as a single entity. As they got a little closer I could tell the rider was a young man, but he just looked so at ease and as cliché as it sounds, was just one with nature. You could tell he was riding for pure pleasure as was the horse he rode and the peacefulness of it took my breath away.

He was oblivious to everything around him except the horse beneath him, so he did not notice that I as standing on the side of the road staring at him. After he passed about 50 yards away from me I reluctantly got back in my car and drove off, but a couple minutes later I came to the entrance to a Ranch and I just knew I had to pull in and have a look. The sign on the arch read "Lockhart Ranch, Oldest Cattle Ranch in the US". It appeared to also be a riding ranch as I saw some young kids in the paddock taking lessons. Being a city girl, I never thought about riding a horse, but all of a sudden the thought appealed to me, so I parked the car and got out to enquire about getting some riding lessons.

The atmosphere of the whole area seemed so rustic, but at the same time had a romantic feel to it. Now I don't know if that's because I had just come from that beautiful scene of horse and rider in an open field or not, but I didn't care, I wanted to somehow be involved or be inspired by something, I was on vacation after all. I went up to the building that appeared to be where you would sign up as it had the prices of the trail rides listed on a sign above an exterior wooden counter with a roof overhead. As I stepped up, I was able to get a better look of what was behind and this served as a way to block the front of the large barn behind it, but at the same time you were able to see several stalls and some horses in a paddock through the other side. It is exactly how I would have imagined it if I had ever thought to imagine something like this before.

It doesn't take long for someone to notice me and they stop what they were doing to come and greet me. "Howdy, and welcome to the Lockhart Ranch" they said and I couldn't help but wonder if that is what they are told to say to customers or if that is just the way they are to everyone. I decide this is just a normal welcome for them, so I give them my biggest smile and introduce myself.

"Hello, my name is Helen Butler and I was thinking about possibly taking some riding lessons or maybe going on a trail ride".

"Well hi there, I'm Devan and we actually do both of those, so I guess it's up to you which you would prefer". Devan looks to be about in his 40's with light brown hair and cheerful eyes. He's not overly handsome, but has a certain kindness to his face which I personally find appealing in a person.

"I think I'd like to take riding lessons", I blurt out.

"Excellent, we would certainly be happy to have you here. Now we just need some information from you and there are a couple of forms for you to fill out" Devan says as he hands me a clip board with some forms and a pen. "Please take a few minutes to fill those out and I will be right back".

Forms, I hate forms I think and all of a sudden the romantic feeling I had just moments before starts to slip away. I start filling out the forms and am almost finished when I can hear the sound of horses hooves slightly off in the distance, so I turn to look over and there they are, horse and rider coming up with the sunlight behind them and it is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. There is a slight dust cloud behind them which only enhances the illusion of them being a silhouette and I envision this is something right out of a romance novel and have to chuckle to myself as I have never considered myself much of a romantic and have only read one romance novel in my life and yet I can't tear my eyes away from them. As they get closer, my eyes change focus and am now looking only at the rider as if the horse wasn't even there and I am not at all disappointed. He appears to be as confident as I imagined when I first saw him riding on the ridge except now I can actually see his face and the expression is one of pure contentment. He brings the horse to a slow trot and then down to a walk and I can't help but notice the shift of his hips as the horse moves along. All of a sudden I feel like some high school girl looking at the hot guy in school, but for some reason I can't tear my eyes off of him.

He hasn't noticed me staring at him thank God, so I continue to do so. Now that I can clearly see his face, he is much younger than I thought and in actuality appears much younger than I am which means he might just still be in high school. Now I feel guilty for looking, but still can't help myself as there is just something about him that makes him seem older than he looks. He has this amazing presence and confident air about him and I can't help but admire him for it. He brings the horse to a complete stop in front of the barn and slowly dismounts. His back is to me, so I can see his back muscles twitching under his shirt and I too have to admire the fit of his jeans. The romantic feelings I had but moments ago are slowing changing into lustful thoughts, but I just can't seem to help myself, he's just so beautiful and now that I see him standing next to the horse, he is much taller than I thought, he must be close to six feet.

Just as I feel my breath start to get deeper I am interrupted by Devan asking if I'm finished with the forms. I slowly shake my head to clear it and he probably thinks I'm some idiot for not understanding what he said when I quickly say "just about, I just have the last couple blocks and sign it". He patiently waits as I finish the forms and hand them to him.

"Okay Helen, this looks great, so when would you like to start your lessons"?

"I can start right now if you like" I say because I am reluctant to leave just yet.

"Well that is probably not a good idea as it's usually best that you not ride a horse with a sun dress on" he says smiling.

"Oh right, that wouldn't be too smart now would it" I say and now I can feel a blush entering my cheeks.

Devan lets me off the hook by offering to start tomorrow around noon in which I quickly accept. I thank him and turn to leave anxious now to get away from here, so I can forget about how silly I feel, but at the same time anxious for tomorrow.

I go home and lay by the pool and now I can't get the image of the rider out of my head. He looked to be about 17 or 18 and considering I'm 24, I feel a little embarrassed for admiring a teenager, but still can't stop thinking about him. He had beautiful blue eyes, or at least they looked blue from where I was standing and he had this little dimple just to the right about half way between his chin and bottom lip. His lips were perfect too, not too thin, but just the right amount of shape to make them perfect for kissing. Oh my God, what the Hell has gotten into me that I can't stop thinking about him. I shake my head to try and clear it of his image, but it doesn't help and I slowly slip back into my earlier daydream only now I'm picturing his stature which was long and lean, but with just the right amount of muscle showing through is tan coloured shirt. I could see his shirt tighten at the shoulders as he gets off the horse and reaches for the reigns over the horses head and I'm envisioning my hands resting on them as I stand on tip toe to reach the back of his neck. I jump as my sister comes up behind me and I can feel the hot flush covering my whole face like she actually caught me doing it.

"Gee, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Where were you earlier"?

"Nowhere special, I just went for a drive", I tell her.

"Oh, okay, Mom just wanted me to let you know that Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes if you wanted to get changed".

"Thanks, I think I will" I get up to go into the house, so I don't have to be brought into a conversation about what I might have seen on my drive.

As the evening wears on, I can't seem to help being excited about tomorrow and starting my riding lessons. I had mentioned at supper that I had planned to go for another drive the next day and since we not only have our car, but a rental for the sole purpose of us having some freedom to come and go as we please, nobody made any enquiries about how long I would be gone and honestly I had no idea how long riding lessons would take.

The next day can't come fast enough, but finally it is time for me to leave. It's a warm day, but I dress according to how I suspect I should in order to ride a horse. I have jeans on that are comfortable but just tight enough not to appear baggy. I had heard that you don't wear running shoes when riding, so picked a pair of high boots that looked like they would do the trick. I chose an off white T-shirt that fits nicely in all the right places. I know I'm going for riding lessons, but I would still like to look good while doing it, plus I had hopes of running into a certain cowboy while I was there. I chuckle to myself over my use of the word cowboy, but still can't help that image from entering my mind and now I realize this could go totally wrong if I am reduced to a pile of mush just thinking about him.

I get to the Ranch shortly before Noon and head to the same counter where I was yesterday.

"Helen, howdy", Devan says with enthusiasm and his smile is so infectious, I smile back. "Are you all ready for your lessons today"?

"I am, I'm a little nervous because I've never ridden a horse before, but I'm looking forward to it."

"All right, let's get you a horse and Cole will be right out to start your lessons".

I'm a little surprised that it won't be him giving the lessons as he seemed exactly the type that would, but now I can't help but wonder who Cole is and my heart skips a beat when I think of the possibilities.

Devan brings out a horse that is already saddled and gestures for me to come over to where he and the horse are standing. "This is Reign, she's one of our most docile mares and we like to use her for the beginners, but you will soon move to a different horse once you get the basics down. Let her see your hand and let her know that you will be with her for a bit". I don't really know what he's talking about, but I lift my hand anyway to let her see me and my first instinct is to let her sniff it. I don't know if I'm supposed to or not, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

"Hey there Devan, who do we have here with Reign"? I hear a deep voice coming up from behind me.

"Oh hey Cole, this Helen, Helen this is Cole and he will be the one giving you your lessons". For some reason I don't even have to turn to know it's him even though I've never heard him speak before, but the voice just seemed like it belonged to the mysterious rider from yesterday. I do turn around though and smile as he reaches out his hand to take mine in his for a shake. I am surprised by how soft his skin feels against mine considering he is a seasoned rider and his hand shake is quite strong and confident for someone so young.

"Hi, nice to meet you" I mange to say. He is even better looking up close and I feel a twinge of butterflies in my stomach as I look at him.

"Okay, come with me Helen and we will get you into a ring and get you better acquainted with Reign. She is my favourite out of all the mares here on the Ranch, she's been here almost as long as I have and I was born here".

My God, I've only just met Cole and already I am in love with his voice. There is something about the deepness mixed with the odd pitch that just seems to cover you like a warm blanket and again I am surprised at myself for my school girl thoughts. I make myself snap back as I am determined not to make a complete fool of myself in front of Cole.

"First things first Helen, I want you to take the reins and walk Reign into the ring. You need to show her you're the boss, not really, but it helps let her know that you are in charge and are not scared of her because they can sense that and can get a little skittish. Not our Reign though, she's a seasoned professional." Cole smiles at this moment and he has the most beautiful smile I think I have ever seen on a person. It reaches all the way up to his eyes and he has these little crinkles that make him appear older than he obviously is, but at the same time make him seem younger as it creates a hidden devilish look like he has this secret and again, just like his voice, I've fallen in love with his smile. He's talking to me, but it's like he's not because I can't focus beyond what I am thinking as I watch him standing there stroking Reign behind her left ear. I first thought he might be six feet tall, but he is definitely taller than that and his eyes are as blue as I first suspected, but are even bluer today and seem to take on the colour of his denim shirt, a shirt that fits over his form perfectly I might add, it's tight where you want it to be tight and baggy where it needs to be. He has the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and I can't help but admire his forearms, they are strong yet lean at the same time with just the right amount of hair running along them. It was then that I noticed his hands and they look as soft as they felt when he shook mine earlier. He has these long fingers that are perfectly shaped and for just an instant I envision them running along my neck and it makes me shiver.

"Are you cold"? I hear Cole ask me.

"Oh, no no, I'm fine. I realize then that my daydream was only a matter of seconds even though it lasted longer in my mind, and I didn't miss any instruction as he was just finishing up a little of Reign's history with the Ranch.

"Because she's so smart, we've had to change the way we give instructions to our riders because she understands certain words, like trot, walk, canter and it doesn't help the folks taking lessons if the horse is doing the work for them". He gives a little laugh and it's like music, Holy Hell, what has gotten into me? I start to question whether taking riding lessons was such a good idea especially if I continue to be distracted like this. Again Cole's voice brings me out of my thoughts. "Okay, let's get you up onto this horse". He comes a little closer and all of sudden I feel a little warmer. He points to my left leg "you are going to put that foot into this stirrup and then swing your right leg over the back of her hind quarters and onto the other side. Have you seen this done before or would you like me to show you"?

"Why don't you show me first and then I'll give it a try" I back up and he nods as he takes the reins from my hand and I feel a little spark where he touched me. I know it has to be my imagination because there is no way an electrical current would be running through him. As I back away from them, he turns to look at me.

"You keep the reins in your hand as you hold onto the horn and then put your left foot into the stirrup like this" he lifts his leg and I can't help noticing the tightening of the jeans over his very well shaped thigh and I begin to feel even warmer. "Then you grab the back of the saddle like this and hoist yourself up swinging your leg over to the other side." He suspends himself in the air for just a moment, so that I can take in the technique and then sits himself into the saddle, he makes it look so natural, that I'm even more nervous about looking like a fool as I attempt it. "Your turn Helen" he drawls as he dismounts with ease. He makes it look like an art form, either that or I am just imagining him as some statue there for me to admire.

"Right, I'll give it try, but no promises" I say back, hoping he doesn't notice the blush on my cheeks that appeared after watching him. He hands back the reins and I think I do okay with the first part by holding tightly onto the horn with the reins in my hand. I lift my leg, but since I'm much shorter than he is, I'm not able to do it easily, so I do a little hop which was none to graceful I might add. He places his hand on the small of my back to steady me and I freeze for a moment from the contact. I now grab the back of the saddle and begin to lift myself up and as I do, Cole moves closer to guide me and I almost knee him in the chest. "Oh sorry about that" I quickly squeak out.

"No problem, it happens all the time" he says with a smile and now I am firmly sitting in the saddle.

The lesson lasts about an hour, maybe more and I was able to focus enough on what I was doing and not stare too much at Cole even though I wanted to just sit and watch him, but I also wanted to impress him with my quick learning, so stayed the course and actually did quite well in my mind. "Helen, that was great, you are a born natural, I can't believe you've never been on a horse before today".

"Thanks" I say shyly. "It was really fun, I'm glad I decided to do this, so when will the next lesson be" I ask hopefully.

"Well, if you are free we can do every day this week at noon". He gives me this incredible smile and his eyes just light right up with his whole face and it nearly freezes me on the spot like Medusa turning people into stone with a single look.

I manage to smile back. "I would like that very much, thanks. Well I should probably get down and head home now".

Cole gives a little chuckle and shakes his head "Not so fast little lady, there is more to do here. You don't think you get to come and ride for an hour and expect us to do all the post riding work, do you"?

I can tell he is saying it light heartedly, so I relax a little and since I've spent the last hour with him I'm feeling a little flirty, it might also be because I am now looking down at him from atop the horse giving me a sense of power. I give him my most appealing smile, "Hey, I only paid for the lessons, not the chores, besides what's a city girl know about barns". I raise my nose to tease him with snobbery when all of a sudden Reign bolts about a foot forward as Cole slaps her hind end and then laughs at the look of terror on my face.

"Don't worry, Reign won't do anything rash, she's too to mild mannered to be spooked here in the ring with me beside her." He's still chuckling and I turn to give him a dirty look. "I'm sorry, but you asked for it little lady". That's twice he's called me "little lady" and I think I like it even though it doesn't sound like something someone his age would say.

"So what's next good Sir" I say a little flippantly and he smirks, I'm not sure which was more sexy, his full out smile or the smirk he just made, but I hope I get to see both again, so that I can make an accurate assessment.

"First let's get you down and we'll take Reign into the barn. You get off using the same steps as you did getting on, but in reverse." Cole comes closer as I begin to dismount and as I feel myself about to reach the ground I feel both of his hands on my waist. It startles me a little, but in a good way and I lean back slightly for stability as I remove my other foot from the stirrup. I'm off the horse, but we stay in that position for just a moment and it feels glorious. The feel of his hands on me makes my breath speed up ever so slightly and I realize right then and there that I want to be around him a lot more, so I am going to enjoy this week immensely.

After we spend an hour removing "the tack" as Cole calls it, we rub reign down and give her a good brushing. I am tired by the time we are done, but I feel refreshed and pleased with how well today went and I am looking forward to tomorrow even more now. I repeated the same steps the next couple of days and as each day wore on, I became more open around Cole and we even started teasing each other about little things. I noticed a couple of times that Cole was staring at me when he thought I wasn't looking and that made me feel more confident and sexy around him, so I started to take a little extra care on my hair and make up and chose my tops more carefully making sure that they were tight enough to show my shape.

It was now Friday and I was feeling a little disappointed that I wouldn't get to see Cole over the weekend, but once the lesson was over and we were headed to the barn, he asked me if I would be interested in hanging out with him at the beach the next day. It's possible I might have answered too quickly, but I didn't care because I was excited that I wouldn't have to wait until next week to see him again. He offered to pick me up, but I explained that we were renting a place on the water, so we made plans to meet at a well known part of the beach at 1:00pm the next day.

As I headed down the beach, anxious to see Cole again, I couldn't help but let my mind wander into fantasy territory and the next thing I know he was kissing me all over. I could feel my body responding to this vivid day dream I was having in my head and didn't hear him when he came up beside me. "It's about time you got here little lady" he said and I jumped embarrassed as if he could see what I was thinking. I've been waiting for forever". I knew he was teasing me because it was only 1:10pm which puts me ten minutes late, a respectful time for woman.

"Well I wanted to make you wait longer, but it was too nice a day out to waste it indoors" I tease back. He smiles that beautiful smile and puts his arm across my shoulder and leads me down to a smaller section of the beach.

"Do you surf"? He asks me and when I shake my head he continues. "That's okay, the waves aren't really big enough to get a good run in anyway. I brought us some refreshments because I was hoping we could spend the afternoon getting to know each other better away from the lessons".

Well if I wasn't taken with him before, that would have sealed the deal. He is so thoughtful and sweet, I can't believe he isn't taken, so I state the next obvious thing. "I can't believe you don't have a girlfriend". He stiffens slightly, so I ask. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Not really. I did, but we broke up, but we've known each other our whole lives, so we seem to gravitate back to hanging out after some time apart, but sometimes I think she's waiting for something better to come along and then when she realizes there's nothing, she comes back to me." I can hear the sadness in that statement, so I try to lighten the mood.

"Well her loss is my gain, so what did you bring us to eat?" This snaps him back to the moment and all else is forgotten and I am very thankful for that because I really want his full attention to be on me today.

We spend the afternoon talking about everything from horse stories to what it's like to live in the city, to our families and finally I ask the question I've been dreading to know the answer to. "How old are you Cole"?

"I'm 18, but will be 19 next month, why how old are you?"

"I just turned 24 in March, wow I would have put you older than that and that means there is five years between us, now I feel old." I say, I wanted him to know that I didn't consciously seek to hang out with teenagers, nor have I done this before.

"A lot of people think I'm older than I am and maybe that's because I'm the oldest of four boys and my dad died when I was 12, so it kind of put me in charge of things earlier than my Mom intended. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about the ranch and wouldn't trade what I do for the world, but losing my father so early was tough on all of us".

There's that sadness back in his voice and I can't help but reach over and touch his cheek with the palm of my hand in an effort to comfort him. He looks up and all of a sudden the look of sadness has changed into something else, desire maybe and my heart skips a beat. He inches closer to me and I can tell he's going to kiss me and there is nothing I want more at that moment than to be kissing him. I have admired those lips all week and have fantasized about kissing him since the first moment I met him, so there is no way I'm going back away from this. As he gets closer the breath catches in my throat for a moment and then quickens in anticipation. I notice his breathing has gotten deeper as well and I glance down at his lips and then up into his eyes and just as I can feel his breath on my own lips I close my eyes. The feel of his soft lips on mine is exactly as I imagined them to be only gentler and more hesitant, like he is waiting for me to pull back and put a stop to it. Just so he knows that I won't, I slip my tongue ever so gently across his bottom lip. I can hear his intake of breath when I do and he leans in closer to deepen the kiss.

My heart is racing like this is the first time I've ever been kissed and I feel my body start to ache with want. I want to feel his hands on me and just as I complete that thought, he brings his hand up to my cheek and slides it along my jaw line. He holds my chin between his thumb and forefinger drawing me in closer and as he does his tongue separates my lips and invades my mouth ever so slowly in search of my tongue. The feeling is heavenly and I can't resist deepening the kiss with my own tongue circling his. He takes me in his arms and lifts me with ease so that I am now sitting on his lap. I reach up and run my fingers through his hair at the base of his neck and add a little pressure in an effort to keep him close. He lets out growl deep in his throat which is the sexist sound I have ever heard in my life and it makes me so incredibly horny for him, that I start to lean forward in an attempt to get him to lie back on the blanket, so that I can feel all of him against me. He is not as willing to oblige, but I don't think about that as he is now moving his hand up along my rib cage and slides it under my bikini top to massage my breast. His hand feels so good I feel like I could cum right there on his lap, but I'm not prepared to end this erotic moment so quickly, so I turn my focus to him and slowly start to lift his beater up his chest. The feel of his skin beneath my fingers is divine and I pause a moment to enjoy the feel of his muscles as they twitch under my touch. I quickly relieve him of his shirt breaking our connection momentarily, but as we come back together, it is with more force than before like we are both starved for each other.

His kisses get a little harder and now both of his hands are searching my body until each cover a breast. I shift bringing my leg across his lap so that I am now straddling him and once I do I move my hips forward so that I can feel his hardening cock against my increasingly wet bikini bottoms. He growls again, but this time it moves up this throat as he breaks the kiss to start nibbling on my jaw and down my neck. My head instinctively falls back in ecstasy causing my upper body to arch into him. His mouth feels like fire on my skin, but I can't get enough of the feeling and I let out my own form of a growl which sounds more like a moan to my own ears. He responds in kind with his own and moves his mouth lower getting closer and closer to my breasts which are now aching to be sucked. As if reading my mind he pushes the bikini top out of the way and brings his mouth down hard on my nipple sucking and biting in turn. I can't help the squeal that comes out of my mouth and I moan his name a couple of times as I begin to slide myself along his fully hardened cock. I am rocking above him and the feeling is so incredible that I know I won't be able to change my focus this time. I speed up my rhythm and am now clawing his back with my nails, but he doesn't seem to notice as he moves to my other breast first licking and then sucking the nipple. The feeling is incredible and just as he bites down I feel the buildup of my orgasm come crashing down and I my breath stops in that moment and it releases in the form of a low scream. I can tell he knows I'm coming because his hips start to move and he sucks harder on my nipple all while letting out a long low growl. He releases my breast long enough to moan "God you are so fucking sexy" and he pulls me tighter just as my orgasm starts to subside. My breathing is so erratic and I'm still twitching when he moves his mouth higher alternating bites, licks and kisses along my neck until he reaches my mouth and reclaims it with hot, heavy kisses which move into slower like caresses and I sigh with pure content. He starts to kiss my cheek, then my eyelids and forehead and I am so limp with the after affects of my orgasm that I just let him do what he wants to me. "You are so beautiful" he whispers and the sound of his voice almost starts the comings of another orgasm.

"I'm sorry I breath out, that's not what I had intended and you must need…."

He interrupts me "believe me, when I fuck you it won't be on a beach". He enforces that statement with a long sexy kiss that makes me want to fuck him right then and there.

The wind picks up and you can feel the evening chill in the air and with the mood broken by Cole's last statement, we start to pick up our stuff and end our afternoon in the sun. I stand there looking at him and he steps forward, touches my cheek with his thumb and leans down kissing me slowly. The butterflies start fluttering about in my stomach and I melt into him. "Can I see to tomorrow" he says in a husky whisper which is yet another version of his voice I am deeply falling for. You could have sex with just his voice, it is that incredibly sexy.

I'm too breathless to reply, so simply nod in agreement. "Great, how about you come by the Ranch after dinner and I'll show you what happens after dark there". He says it like he's teasing but I can't help picturing all kinds of erotic moments with him.

I head back to the house and go straight to my room and into a hot shower and as I stand there I am thinking back to earlier and all that took place. "Damn, why didn't I buy that vibrator last year at that Naughty Girl Party when I had the chance instead of that body chocolate which only seemed to make Noah all sticky and clumsy while applying it" I ask myself. I shake my head to get rid of that image and begin to picture Cole again as I first saw him riding in the field and then as he begins kissing me. I touch my lips which are still swollen from his kisses and I think of what might happen tomorrow night when I see him again and I realize that seems like a lifetime away. I finish my shower and sit in bed reading hoping to take my mind off of Cole in hopes of passing the hours away until I see him again. I fall asleep easily enough, but wake up earlier than I would have liked. I pass the time by cooking a big breakfast for my sister and parents and we enjoy a good conversation while sitting at the table. My parents were invited to a BBQ at a nearby neighbour's and my sister had plans with one of the other vacationing girls, so that left me time to myself to get ready for this evening.

I decide that since all Cole has really seen me in is jeans, that I would wear a dress this evening, so I pick a nice bright blue sun dress with a very low neckline and I smile as I picture Cole bending over to discover how easily assessable it can be. I'm glad I chose to bring that new bra and matching thong with me even though I wasn't sure when I packed it why I would want to wear it here while vacationing with my family. I had bought it as a surprise for Noah, but haven't worn it yet. I decide to leave my hair down, but put some curl in it to give it extra body and I only apply the smallest amount of make up and a little lip gloss to finish off the look.

My sister had taken the rental car and my parents needed only to walk a few houses down the beach to reach their destination, so that left me our car, so I hopped in and drove to the Ranch. I wasn't sure if I was to go right up to the house or not, but as I drove in I could see Cole in the riding ring with one of the horses. It looked like he might have been training it for something. This time he wore a cowboy hat which not only made him look older than me, but made him look like the cover of a Romance Novel. The green shirt he wore was unbuttoned at the top and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows which I suspect is the way he wears all of his shirts as I've not seen him wear them any other way. However, that is fine by me because I love the way his hands look when you can see the expanse and strength of his forearms. His jeans are as tight as will comfortably permit for riding and he is wearing cowboy boots. Now that I see the whole cowboy package, I'm a little taken aback by the fact that me, little miss city girl, is sitting here fantasizing about a local cowboy. That's when he spots me, so I don't have to analyze it any further.

He waves me over and I head toward him. I can tell that he is appreciating the time I took in dressing this evening and can see a hint of desire as he watches me approach. "I'm almost finished here, do you want to give it a try"? Although I wanted to go in the ring with him, I refuse as I didn't want to mess with my dress and I did not wear appropriate shoes. I sit on a nearby bench and watch him at work and it's almost as beautiful as watching him ride a horse. About 15 minutes later he is leading the horse to the barn and doing a quick change, but I can see him from where I sat. He takes off his hat and shirt and washes his hands in a nearby sink, he then scoops some water up onto his head and face and scrubs away the dust from the ring and grabs a towel and runs it through his hair and up his arms and face. The whole time I sit there admiring the flexing of muscles with each little movement he makes and I can almost see a dance in the way his back muscles move and I am yet again mesmerized by his beauty. He dons a blue pull over shirt which tightens across his back as he adjusts it and as he turns I notice the colour of his eyes have changed to match the colour of his shirt and I am taken aback by that possibility as I have never witnessed that before, but it's gorgeous. Everything about this guy is gorgeous.

"All set" he says smiling as he walks towards me and leans in for a kiss. I soak in every moment of that kiss and images of yesterday come to mind which makes my nipples harden with desire. I can only hope that if he notices that he chalks it up to the chilly evening air. "I thought we could start with a walk since you haven't seen anything past the ring and the barn." He takes my hand as we start to walk and it feels warm and soft and very comfortable. He points out a few of the out buildings and names them and their uses and he shows me what section in the distance that they use for the cattle and which section they use for Trail Riding. He tells me about the number of folks who visit the ranch in the summer and what the ranch does in winter to make up for the off season. He tells me about all the trees that were planted for each of the children that were born at the Ranch and I realize those must have been the trees I had first seen that day which explains why they looked like they were strategically spaced. He talked a little bit about his brothers Scotty, Caleb and Hal, and what they do to contribute to the Ranch when they aren't in school. You can tell that he is very proud of being a part of the Ranch even though he is very young and his mother owns it, but he also mentioned that some day it would belong to him and how he hoped to raise a family here and have his sons take over when they were grown.

The way in which he spoke about that made me for a brief moment wish that I would be the one standing by his side, but I knew that was likely never going to happen as I had to return back to my final year of university and he was still almost six years younger than me. We walked around for about two hours and watched the sun set over the ridge and when we got back to the main building which looked like a barn from the outside, but was clearly a working building on the inside, he offered me a drink. We each grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge and went to sit down on what looked like outdoor patio furniture, but was much more comfortable than I expected. The room was very dimly lit since nobody was working there and nobody had turned on any lights, but that was okay because after watching the sun set, this just seemed much more in keeping with the atmosphere.

Cole had sat down beside me and after taking a drink of his Diet Coke he turned to me and asked what I thought of the Ranch. He then placed a hand on my knee as he waited for me to respond.

I thought about confessing about that first day when I saw him riding in the very fields he showed me, but changed my mind and simply told him how beautiful everything was and how lucky he is to be a part of it. I think that is exactly the response he was looking for because his face lit right up and then he tilted his head down as if remembering something and smiled and nodded "Yeah, I am" he said simply. We sat there quietly for a couple minutes while he seemed to be contemplating something and the hand he had on my knee started to caress my leg.

The feel of his hand on my leg made me feel all tingly and I started to feel a little fidgety, so I leaned forward to place my Diet Coke down on the table in front of me and when I sat back I rested my hand on his arm. My fingers started to play with the hairs on his forearm and his hand started to increase the distance of movement. Then Cole turned toward me and I looked into his eyes and even though it was almost dark by now I could see the glistening look of desire there. That's when I placed my hand on his and without breaking my gaze on him, I started to move his hand higher up my leg. It was all the invitation he needed to lean over and start kissing me which is exactly the reason I did it.

My heart was beating so fast I could swear he would be able to hear it. The day on the beach was completely unexpected, but tonight, tonight was anticipated and I wanted it to happen. His kisses started out slow and gentle, but as the urgency grew, so did the force of his kisses. I already had my hands around his neck and was searching out his tongue before he had fully turned toward me. His breathing had gotten heavier and it was turning me on completely, so I started biting and sucking on his bottom lip. He let a much louder and longer growl than I had previously heard and that sound just fueled my fire even more. I was hell bent on fucking him or having him fuck me entirely before this night was over. I was so horny, but only for Cole and I'm not sure if it's because it's been about a month since I'd last had sex with Noah or if it's because Cole was turning me on so completely. I didn't care, I was in the moment and the moment was Cole and I didn't want to think of anyone or anything else except him. Our kissing became urgent, but I wanted this all to last a while, so I broke the kiss and looked at him. "I want to fuck you so bad, but I don't want it over too soon, so let's slow things down just a little bit".

All of a sudden I felt like the teacher and yet I could tell he's had plenty of experience in the way he held himself and the way his hands moved over me. All of a sudden I wanted to know more about that experience, so I thought I would ask him indirectly about it. I moved my hand up to his face and started to caress the lines around his eyes and trace a line down his cheek to the scar that just added to his appeal. "Where did you get this".

He gave me a small smile and started to tell me the story. "I was about ten years old and I was helping my father with a new horse. She was still a little skittish here and one day she got something stuck on the side of her hoof, it turned out to be a nail that had dropped when some new fence posts were being fixed. My dad and I were trying to take it out when she kicked her leg out hitting me in the face and of course we hadn't yet removed the nail, so that's what tore the skin. Her kick gave me a nice bruise and a massive headache, but it was the nail that did the most damage. It took about six stitches. My dad said it was like a Christening and a warning all in one." He smiled when he said it.

"What do you mean by a Christening and a warning"?

"Well my dad believed that the ground you work isn't really yours until you bleed on it and boy was there a lot of blood, but he also believed that you need to learn to always be on your toes when working around such powerful animals and that was the lesson I learned that day"

There wasn't anything left to say on that matter, so I reached up and traced the scar and then kissed him there. Once I kissed him there, I grazed my tongue over it and I felt him shudder at the feeling. I moved back to his lips and started kissing him gently, but the feel of his lips was causing all kinds of stirrings in my stomach and I could feel myself getting wetter and wetter with each kiss. I went back to biting his bottom lip and searching for his tongue with mine rolling it around his and then biting his lip. He shifted positions and moved his hand up to my face to cup my cheek and chin which almost made me melt right into him. His kisses started gaining more strength than mine and I could feel his hand moving up my leg. He started caressing my inner thigh moving higher each time. Soon he would be able to feel my wetness and I couldn't wait to feel him there.

I slide my hand down the front of his jeans and could feel his hardening cock and oh how I wanted to feel that cock inside me. I squeeze his erection and again he let out a growl, but this time I could hear a hiss precede it. I wanted to make him growl again, so I started unbuttoning his jeans so I could feel his raging hard on in my hand, skin on skin, the thought of it made me sigh. Cole starting kissing my neck and working down the front of my dress and I had to smile to myself at the thought of what he would think of my choice of dresses for this evening. He started licking and nibbling on the top of my breast and I could feel my nipples harden even more. He pulled at the top of the dress with more force than was necessary and I could tell he checked to make sure he hadn't ruined it which made me smile. He started back where he left off leaving little bites along the way and the feel of his teeth was like nothing I'd ever felt before. He moved aside my bra and took almost the entirety of my breast in his mouth "Oh Cole" I moaned and leaned into him to make sure he had full access. He felt so good and I could feel tingles leading from by nipple right down to my inner core causing even more wetness.

He slowly moves over to the other breast and as I waited for him to devour that one, I slipped my hand inside his boxers and squeezed his cock. "Oh Fuck Helen, ugh that's feels good". I don't stop rubbing him and I can feel him getting harder if that's possible. I really want to taste him, but I don't voice that as I plan to get my chance soon enough. The more I rub him the harder he bites my nipple and I just know it's going to be bruised tomorrow. He moves over to the other breast again and this time he licks then blows, does it again and then sucks on it before going back over to the other breast and repeating the process. I feel the aching inside me start to build even more as he starts to move lower and he is now licking the under side of my breast and I can't help but wonder where he learned to do all of this because it is pure perfection.

He continues to move lower and the anticipation his destination is causing me to get a little light headed. As he licks his way downward, I stroke the head of his cock. I glide my finger over the slit and feel the pre-cum and wishing I was able to taste it, but satisfy myself with spreading it over the head with my thumb.

Cole had reached my stomach and stops to lick the exterior of my belly button dipping in lightly and the feeling is heavenly. His hands begin rubbing along my thighs as he moves downward and they are so soft and gentle, handling me like you would fine china. I'm finding it hard to focus on one feeling because my whole body feels like it's on fire. He has reached the apex and he exhales so that I can feel his breath against my heat. I feel his lips lightly touch me and my instinct is to open my legs wider to give him better access. His hands leave my thighs and spread my outer lips so that he can gain access to my most sensitive parts. I can feel his tongue on me now and I moan aloud, my breathing is fast and deep as I feel his lips close over my clit and I can already feel the build up to an orgasm starting. He starts sucking and then switches to licking like he can't make up his mind what he wants. My hands have long since left his cock and are now buried into his hair and my hips rise off of the couch in an attempt to get closer. I can feel a difference in the way he is licking me and realize he is licking the letters of his name around my clit sucking on it between each letter. I am so close, but don't want the moment to be over, so try to relax a bit. As he sucks a little harder I can feel two of his finger slide up inside of me and that's all it takes for me to go over the edge. I let out a loud breath while moaning his name and I can here him say "Cum for me baby, I want to taste all of you" and then it's like oblivion has washed over me.

I am still breathing heavy when I feel him move up the length of me placing kisses randomly on my body. "You taste so good" he says and then captures my mouth with his own and I can taste myself on him, but for some reason it doesn't bother me. He is kissing and biting my lips and my body begins to react to him again, but this time I want to feel him, taste him and hear him call out my name, so I rise up before he can fully lay on top of me and my lips become more insistent. Our roles are slowly reversing as I get to my knees and am now slightly above him. I don't break our kiss as I push him back to the other side of the couch and begin to straddle him in the process. With both of my hands framing his face, I am now the one biting and sucking his lips and am rewarded by another growl from him. That sound is so sexy and it encourages onward, so I start to travel down and continue nibbling, but now I'm nibbling his neck. There is a hint of aftershave and what I imagine is a days worth of working around the horses and then there is a scent that I can only identify must be all him and I can't get enough of it. I inhale as I move up to his ear and start biting his earlobe. He must like it because he grabs me by the waste and pushes me down harder onto his lap where I easily feel the hardness of his cock. I imagine what it might feel like inside me and I begin grinding my hips into him and moan at the feeling it creates. "Oh baby you're killing me here, I should be fucking you right now" and he reaches down and slides two fingers inside me and I almost lose my resolve and start swiveling my hips so I can feel him against my interior walls.

"Jesus Cole", I sigh "your fingers are magical" and as if to prove me right he sinks them in deeper and bends them enough to touch my most sensitive areas. "No" I think to myself, I am not going to steer from my objective and I begin move my hips away from his touch and start moving down his body lifting his shirt as I go.

It is my turn to taste him and oh do I ever want to taste him. I glide my hands over his shoulders as I continue nibbling on his neck and can feel the strength and power of them. I move my hands down his arms and am pushing him back away from my body so that I can easily reach his chest with my mouth. His skin is so smooth with only a light patch of hair at the centre and this turns me on even more. I am now switching from little nips to licks over his chest making my way to one of his nipples and as I take one into my mouth and suck I can hear his intake of breath, so I glance upward and see that he is watching me intently. I don't take my eyes off of him as I move over to capture the other nipple in my mouth and this time I bite lightly as I suck and his eyes close and his head falls back. I smile to myself and begin to venture lower. The muscles of his abdomen twitch as I take my time, savoring every bit of him. I trace the line of hair below his stomach with my finger and I feel like a kid waiting to take that first lick of their ice cream cone. I'm mere inches away and I can feel him tense up in anticipation. I place my hands on his hips lowering the jeans just slightly and dip my head. I was worried about missing my chance to taste the pre-cum, but I can see another drop at the tip and I slowly slide my tongue along the slit to taste all of him. "Fuuuck" Cole hisses as he flinches at my touch and I can't help feeling a bit proud of myself with his reaction. I swirl my tongue around the tip making each circle larger until I'm circling the head of his cock. He begins raising his hips off of the couch out of reflex, so I take his cock in my mouth swirling my tongue at the same time. "Oh Christ that feels good" I hear him say with a cracked voice and it encourages me to take more of him into my mouth. I know I won't be able to take all of him because he has a very generous cock, but I'm willing to give it a go. I start off slow with a few shallow bobs and then I relax my throat in an effort to take as much of him as I can into my mouth. I slide slowly down the length of him and am able to get about ¾ of it in, I move my head in a small circle so he can feel the back of my throat. His hands reach for me then and he runs his fingers through my hair as I move back up his cock. His hips are now fully off of the couch, so I reach around and grab his ass in my hands and start down along his length again. I increase my tempo and turn my head as I go to give him a different feel with every mouthful. My right hand comes back and I take the base of his cock in my fist and squeeze and his hips begin to move. I've never minded giving blow jobs before, but this the first time I didn't want it to end. "Helen, Helen, if you don't stop, I'm going to cum and I don't want to cum until I've fucked you". When I don't stop he grabs me under my arms and lifts me off of him flipping me onto my back. He's done it so quickly and gently I barely know what's happened until he claims my mouth in a hungry kiss. I can feel him grinding against me and now all I want is to feel him inside me and I'm so hungry for his cock that I fantasize about him being inside me with no barriers and wanting to mix our juices together as we cum. Thankfully his head is more clear than mine as he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a condom. I grab it from him and tear at the package until I free its contents and roll it down the length of him while looking into his eyes. I can see pure desire or lust there and I'm sure mine mirror his as well.

All of sudden the mood changes and I feel him slowly sliding along the length of me and he begins to kiss my neck. It feels more intimate than what we had just been doing, but it also feels right. I'm running my hands along his back and can feel his muscles flexing with every movement he makes. I can feel his hard length against my leg and I'm so ready to have him invade me that I raise my hips up toward him as I bite his neck and I am rewarded with what I am now beginning to guess is his signature growl deep within his throat which turns me on even more. "I need you inside me now" I whisper into his ear. "Please Cole, fuck me now" I breath out and he isn't too long to oblige as I feel his cock at my entrance. I raise my hips and move my hands down to his ass and pull him toward me. He slides in slowly and then stops for a moment so we can both get used to the feel of one another. He feels so glorious and so big. I'm no virgin, but I do know that he is filling me like no one ever has and I can't wait to feel all of him inside me. As if reading my thoughts he pushes in further until he's all the way in and he gives a role of his hips before pulling out again. He does this a few more times until we both feel a certain urgency to speed things up. "Faster" I say so quietly I'm not sure if he even heard me, but he must have because his thrusts increase and deepen until I can feel him touch all of me. I move my hips with his until we get a rhythm going. He feels so good that I can already feel the pressure of an orgasm begin, but I'm not ready to give in, so I focus on the feel of him as he thrusts in and out, grinding his hips into mine.

He lifts himself up a little so he can look into my eyes and his thrusting increases. I can feel the heat of him inside and the build up to our inevitable orgasms. I wonder if we will cum together and now that I've thought of it I want us to. I can't quite read his expression, but his breathing has quickened and I see beads of sweat on his forehead which is likely due to exertion. I bite my lip and let out a squeal as I feel the pressure mounting within me and I can already tell that my orgasm is going to go deep within me. He senses I'm close and speeds up, pulling almost all the way out and thrusting back in. It is too much for me and I scream out as I go over the edge. I can feel my walls tightening around his moving cock and he dips his head and lets out a grunt right before pushing so deeply into me that he can't go any further and then I feel his release. He lets out a loud moan and thrusts a few more times finishing with a few short jerks as I myself come back down from my own incredible finish.

We lay there for a few more moments and he's kissing my face, taking turns with my cheeks and eyes. "That was amazing" he says breathlessly and I can't help thinking he was the one who was amazing. "Mmmm" I answer back and he pulls me in for one last hug before pulling out of me and rising to discard the condom. I adjust myself putting everything back in place and wishing we could go for round two, but it's getting late and tomorrow is a full day at the Ranch, so I get up to leave as he heads back over. "Well you probably have an early start, so I should probably leave" I say and he grabs my arm and pulls me in close to him.

"What's the rush little lady, let's just sit and enjoy each other's company for a bit longer. I'm in no rush to end our evening." That's it, I think I'm in a dream because he just seems too good to be true. He leads me back to the couch and I'm about to sit down when he lifts me up, sits down and deposits me sideways onto his lap. He has one arm draped over my legs and the other one is playing with the hair on the back of my head and it feels heavenly.

"So tell me Cole, how did you get to be so good at that for someone so young"? My curiosity has gotten the better of me and I hope I'm not being to forward, but I really wanted to know.

He looks down and then entwines his fingers with mine and then looks back up at me. "Practice" he says with a little smirk and then shakes his head. "That is partly true, but the truth is I lost my virginity pretty young and let's just say that you aren't the only beautiful woman older than me that I've spent time with and leave it at that" At the look of concern on my face, he chuckles and adds "It's nothing untoward, it's just the truth. So how did you get so good"?

I smile at the compliment and shyly admit "You inspired my inner Diva". I am rewarded with a chuckle from him as he takes me in a kiss that lasts several moments. I can already feel the stirrings begin again. We stay like this making out like we didn't just have the most incredible sex for about an hour and I'm reluctant for the night to end, but I know tomorrow will come quickly, so I make the decision to leave this time. "Cole, I really do need to leave because I have riding lessons in the morning and I don't want my instructor to see how tired I am". I stroke his cheek and swing my legs around to get up.

Cole let's out one of his chuckles that has now become my third favourite sound he makes "Yeah, I hear he can be a bit of a dick". He gives me a challenging look.

"You have no idea" I tease and jump up off his lap before he can grab my arm.

"Maybe I'll let him know you need to ride a little harder tomorrow" and I notice the innuendo in his tone, so I give him a sexy smile and start walking toward my car. He catches up to me quickly and takes my hand in his and walks the rest of the way with me. He turns me toward him and leans us both onto the side of my car and bends down to kiss me. I feel more stirrings in the pit of my stomach and just know I'm going to have a hard time falling asleep tonight with all these feelings kicking around.

"Good night Helen, I had an amazing time tonight, sweet dreams and I'll see you tomorrow". With that he slides his hand through my hair and cups my face for one final kiss.

"Good night" is all I mange to get out since he's taken my breath away again. He backs up a couple of steps and opens my car door for me. I get in and drive home.

The riding lessons have taken on a different feel since that night and he is more free and open with me and suggests some trail riding every other day which only leads to some private time and a break for the horses. Before I know it the month is up and we are heading back home tomorrow, so today will be my last day with Cole. I knew this was only a summer fling, but I'm not sure if that's how Cole saw it or not and I'm not sure how to bring that up, so decide not to and if he does, then I will worry about it then.

He sees me as I drive into the Ranch and comes to greet me with the most beautiful smile "Well hello there little lady, you're a little early for your lessons".

"I thought I would skip my lessons today, but I wanted to stop by and to let you know that we're leaving tomorrow to go back home and I wanted to say good-bye". I feel a little guilty leaving this news to the last day, but I was kind of living each day as it came and didn't want to ruin the mood.

"Oh, of course" Cole says fidgeting with the bridle he was holding and looking from one side to the other and down to the ground, anywhere but directly at me. Then he smiles and looks up "Well, I hope you enjoyed your stay here in Montauk and that you will come back soon".

I think deep down he knew what we had was temporary and that it wouldn't last, but he's young, so maybe he had other ideas as well. I don't want to make this more awkward, so I choose the teasing route. "Well, Montauk was beautiful, but I had this really strict riding instructor that is probably happy that the city girl is finished with her lessons".

He chuckles, but the humour doesn't reach is eyes. "You weren't so bad, but you didn't know how clean the tack worth a crap".

I'm thankful that he joins me on the humour road, it makes it easier, but now I want to be serious for a moment because he means more to me than he realizes. "Cole, I had the most amazing time and you are so incredible. I am going to miss you terribly and wish I could stay longer".

"So then stay or at the very least come back, you know where to find me." He pauses, looking around and fidgets some more with the bridle. "I want you to know Helen that I don't take our time together lightly and I don't make a habit out of sleeping with the vacationing beauties that make their way to the Ranch, you are special and not someone I'm going to forget and if you ever come back for a visit, I want you to stop by, deal?"

I give him my brightest smile, "Deal" and I go to give him a hug. He embraces me with those strong arms of his and rubs his cheek against the top of my head. He feels so warm and comfortable and for a moment I wish he were all mine.

And now, almost 20 years later I find myself thinking how ironic this all seems. If I had stayed or gone back, would we be together today instead of facing what we're both facing now? I never would have married Noah and he never would have married Alison and they wouldn't be fucking behind our backs. If only I could change the past and stayed.

**Author's Note**: Although this story is complete, there is the potential to expand on Cole and Helen's time together as this story only details the first week of their four week relationship.


End file.
